Road users pass a billboard in Valiasr Square, Tehran that reads in Farsi, 'the women of my land, Iran'. It had shown pictures of Iranian women, but some asked for their images to be removed. AFP
Road users pass a billboard in Valiasr Square, Tehran that reads in Farsi, 'the women of my land, Iran'. It had shown pictures of Iranian women, but some asked for their images to be removed. AFP
Road users pass a billboard in Valiasr Square, Tehran that reads in Farsi, 'the women of my land, Iran'. It had shown pictures of Iranian women, but some asked for their images to be removed. AFP
Road users pass a billboard in Valiasr Square, Tehran that reads in Farsi, 'the women of my land, Iran'. It had shown pictures of Iranian women, but some asked for their images to be removed. AFP

EU calls on Iran to end violent repression of protesters


Sunniva Rose
  • English
  • Arabic

The EU’s high representative for foreign affairs, Josep Borrell, on Friday urged Iran to stop the repression of protesters and to release those who have been detained.

In a tweet, Mr Borrell said he had conveyed his message to Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian.

“I spoke with @Amirabdolahian to convey again EU's clear and united position: people in Iran have the right to peaceful protest and to defend fundamental rights,” Mr Borrell said.

“Violent repression must stop immediately. Protesters must be released. Internet access and accountability are needed.”

Iranian activists on Friday called for fresh nationwide protests over the death of Mahsa Amini, 22, on September 16.

She had been in the custody of Iran’s morality police, who held her for wearing her headscarf “improperly”.

Outrage over her death has fuelled the biggest wave of street protests and violence seen in the country for years, though observers do not believe that the unrest is close to toppling the government.

At least 108 people have been killed in the protests, and at least 93 more have died in separate clashes in Zahedan, capital of the south-eastern province of Sistan and Baluchestan, according to Oslo-based group Iran Human Rights.

There were fewer reports of people taking to the streets over Amini's death on Friday, but hundreds of men were seen protesting after weekly prayers in Zahedan.

Despite blocked access to internet services and platforms like Instagram and WhatsApp, activists issued an online appeal for a huge turnout on Saturday for protests under the slogan, “The beginning of the end!”

They have called on people across Iran to show up at spots where the security forces are not present and to chant, “Death to the dictator”.

“We have to be present in the squares, because the best VPN these days is the street,” activists said, referring to virtual private networks used to circumvent internet restrictions.

The bloody crackdown has drawn international condemnation and new sanctions on Iran from Britain, Canada and the US.

Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has accused the country's enemies of fomenting riots.

On Friday, his government criticised French President Emmanuel Macron for expressing solidarity with the protests.

Foreign ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani said Mr Macron's remarks were “meddlesome” and served to encourage “violent people and law breakers”.

Mr Kanani said it was “surprising” that France was condemning Iran's security forces for dealing with “violent people and rioters”, when it was threatening to use force in response to “labour strikes in the oil and gas sector” at home.

“This is clear hypocrisy,” he said.

The French government moved this week to end strike in its refineries that has led to crippling shortages.

France's foreign minister said on Tuesday that five of its nationals were being held in Iran.

Agencies contributed to this report

Thor: Ragnarok

Dir: Taika Waititi

Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Cate Blanchett, Jeff Goldblum, Mark Ruffalo, Tessa Thompson

Four stars

Huddersfield Town permanent signings:

  • Steve Mounie (striker): signed from Montpellier for £11 million
  • Tom Ince (winger): signed from Derby County for £7.7m
  • Aaron Mooy (midfielder): signed from Manchester City for £7.7m
  • Laurent Depoitre (striker): signed from Porto for £3.4m
  • Scott Malone (defender): signed from Fulham for £3.3m
  • Zanka (defender): signed from Copenhagen for £2.3m
  • Elias Kachunga (winger): signed for Ingolstadt for £1.1m
  • Danny WIlliams (midfielder): signed from Reading on a free transfer
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The bio

Date of Birth: April 25, 1993
Place of Birth: Dubai, UAE
Marital Status: Single
School: Al Sufouh in Jumeirah, Dubai
University: Emirates Airline National Cadet Programme and Hamdan University
Job Title: Pilot, First Officer
Number of hours flying in a Boeing 777: 1,200
Number of flights: Approximately 300
Hobbies: Exercising
Nicest destination: Milan, New Zealand, Seattle for shopping
Least nice destination: Kabul, but someone has to do it. It’s not scary but at least you can tick the box that you’ve been
Favourite place to visit: Dubai, there’s no place like home

Company%C2%A0profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ELeap%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMarch%202021%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Ziad%20Toqan%20and%20Jamil%20Khammu%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFinTech%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EPre-seed%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunds%20raised%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Undisclosed%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECurrent%20number%20of%20staff%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESeven%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Tearful appearance

Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday. 

Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow. 

She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.

A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.

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Non-oil%20trade
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From Zero

Artist: Linkin Park

Label: Warner Records

Number of tracks: 11

Rating: 4/5

Ibrahim's play list

Completed an electrical diploma at the Adnoc Technical Institute

Works as a public relations officer with Adnoc

Apart from the piano, he plays the accordion, oud and guitar

His favourite composer is Johann Sebastian Bach

Also enjoys listening to Mozart

Likes all genres of music including Arabic music and jazz

Enjoys rock groups Scorpions and Metallica 

Other musicians he likes are Syrian-American pianist Malek Jandali and Lebanese oud player Rabih Abou Khalil

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What can victims do?

Always use only regulated platforms

Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion

Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)

Report to local authorities

Warn others to prevent further harm

Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence

The Transfiguration

Director: Michael O’Shea

Starring: Eric Ruffin, Chloe Levine

Three stars

The specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo hybrid

Transmission: eight-speed automatic

Power: 390bhp

Torque: 400Nm

Price: Dh340,000 ($92,579

COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
 
Started: 2021
 
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
 
Based: Tunisia 
 
Sector: Water technology 
 
Number of staff: 22 
 
Investment raised: $4 million 
Slow loris biog

From: Lonely Loris is a Sunda slow loris, one of nine species of the animal native to Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore

Status: Critically endangered, and listed as vulnerable on the International Union for Conservation of Nature red list due to growing demand in the global exotic pet trade. It is one of the most popular primate species found at Indonesian pet markets

Likes: Sleeping, which they do for up to 18 hours a day. When they are awake, they like to eat fruit, insects, small birds and reptiles and some types of vegetation

Dislikes: Sunlight. Being a nocturnal animal, the slow loris wakes around sunset and is active throughout the night

Superpowers: His dangerous elbows. The slow loris’s doe eyes may make it look cute, but it is also deadly. The only known venomous primate, it hisses and clasps its paws and can produce a venom from its elbow that can cause anaphylactic shock and even death in humans

Updated: October 14, 2022, 6:13 PM`